Ghost St: Heart of Beijing’s culinary underground

Be it Peking roast duck or the current favorite – baked whole fish – Guijie’s eateries are quick on the mark, and always the first to offer them to their foodie clientele. But one thing never changes. This is where you go for that extra spicy kick.

But there is a fly in the soup. Not all restaurants on Ghost Street are above board. There are a few which have been found wanting – just as their customers have found themselves being shortchanged.

Earlier in the year, a reporter with Beijing News went undercover and exposed the darker aspects of these dishonest eateries – ranging from fish that suddenly shrank in weight on the way to the kitchen after customers had picked them out from the tanks out front, and dishes that were cooked with recycled ingredients.

The Beijing authorities immediately descended on the 15 restaurants and ordered them to get their acts together within a “specified time”.

For honest operators like Xiang, these cooks from hell are a blot on Guijie’s reputation.

“I hope every restaurant can do its part and be professional. Our reputations are bound together.”

But in the meantime, gourmets and gourmands will still flock to Ghost Street as the red lanterns brighten after dark. They just have to look more carefully at the restaurants they patronize, and avoid the phantom practices.

Sponsored

Our Team

Meet Our Team

CAPITAL LIFESTYLE is a global lifestyle platform for digital storytelling, premiering exclusive daily content. We are a curated destination for the culturally curious, a point of reference for leaders in media and style, and a platform committed to all things ‘living.’

Maureen Ojunga is the newest Health enthusiast in town. She is also a gadget freak and a lover of all things WINE! Besides being a lover of life, she enjoys writing Relationships and Sex pieces and is also an Interior design junkie.

Grace Njeri is a storyteller and lifestyle journalist who is all about infusing daily life issues into articles. She has a natural skill for trendy conversations about fashion, travel and entertainment. She is also the author of a personal blog ‘The Blendie’ where she serves up personality, energy and insights on life and more style.

Anne Mwaura is an outgoing lifestyle journalist who wants to spread a little joy and color to everyone she meets. Sarcastic, witty and slightly strange you will find her eating gourmet meals till the buttons pop, painting the world a brighter color because everyday is a blank canvas, traveling just to find herself jumping out of a plane and into the party. A Radio presenter and T.V host, the worlds her stage and she's going through it with a great playlist.